


At Her Word

by metalshootingstar



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, there is an implied Non-Con she references when Moira tells her backstory to Alexis and David
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 23:29:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20497139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/metalshootingstar/pseuds/metalshootingstar
Summary: " How lonely she must feel now that she's been taken at her word"Now that the Roses are wealthy again, Moira is often all alone in the large house....angry with David and Alexis for leaving. But then today is mother's day and the Rose children have a heart to heart with their mother.





	At Her Word

"She stays in her home, but it doesn't seem to agree with her. How furious she must be, now that she's been taken at her word. "

She remembers one book club meeting, the book for that month was the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. She remembers she and her friends disparaging Serena Joy Waterford for the world she helped create. That line has always stood out to her, because Moira never really understood it's meaning. True, Serena Joy was a reprehensible villain, but surely she'd be glad to live in a world of her own making. Albeit now one where she had to follow her own rules, then again Moira has always been a big believer of karma. What goes around eventually does come around. Perhaps it meant that, Serena was miserable now that karma came to call. So one can imagine that when she loses her wealth, her power, her status immediately she thinks back to every decision she's ever made and she wonders what she did to deserve this. Every day for all of five years she's hoped, and prayed, and dreamt of leaving this town...of regaining everything, of waking up back in bed to find that it's all been a terrible hallucinogenic nightmare. Because Daytime's shining star Moira Rose cannot possibly have to live like this. Living in a motel with her husband and children. In a town that's nothing but a blip in the radar, with not one of her trappings and admirers.

Then something happened.

Something Moira wasn't expecting.

She became...attached to this small town even without meaning to. She became accustomed to going to the cafe and seeing Twyla's smiling face, became accustomed to Jocelyn's friendship, to Ronnie's acerbic wit and Roland's...well his traits. Accustomed to Stevie and her flannels, always there to be what her family needs. Accustomed to seeing her husband every day, when before he was rarely ever home. Accustomed to seeing her children every day, and having them so close. when before she rarely ever saw them either. Accustomed to hearing them fight and banter and more than that...accustomed to seeing them smile and laugh, and speak of their partners. Of course she still wanted to leave..in the beginning. Even with Johnny putting his all into this motel, even with Alexis and David building lives and growing as people, she still wanted to leave. Oh God did she ever.

Then something else happened.

Their wealth returned and Moira is overjoyed...when she sees the looks on her husband's face. And Moira Rose sees how...sad he is and conflicted and she loves her husband too much to hurt him. To force him to choose between his own happiness and hers...and yet in a way a part of her is sad too because she has become attatched to this place. So it's her idea to stay.

"Moira are you sure?" He asked.

"Of course John...I too have become attached to this place." She says and he smiles that smile she loves more than anything.

So they use that money to commission a home built. A foyer, two stories, with a library, a kitchen, a wine cellar, a living room, a den, bathrooms and of course three rooms. One for them, and Alexis and David have their own rooms.

Then David and Alexis tell her they're moving in with their beaus

...

of course they are.

Moira can't fault them for that, after all John's right. They're adults now, with jobs and husbands of course they were going to be moving in with their husbands...so why did that hurt so much? Everyone is excited, except her and she feels the churning and the aching in her stomach. Except she shouldn't. She always knew this was going to be temporary. One day they were going to get back to their lives...and then they did. She and John moved into their house and Alexis and David moved with their beaus

And suddenly Moira understands that passage as it applies to her life.

How furious she feels, now that she's been taken at her word.

Because this home is big and spacious, and its quiet save of course when she has the television on. John is usually at work, and of course Moira ventures into town still. So she still sees Twyla, and Ronnie, and everyone. This is still the Schitt's Creek she's become adjusted to. But rarely does she see her children, the children she used to see each and every day, who she used to share a wall with, a home. Who she was once so connected to, are now gone. They've up and left the nest. But this is fine with her, they don't need her anymore so why should she miss them? After all it's not like she spent time with them before. Who needed them anyway? David and Alexis were their own people, they were adults, they could make their own choices. Infact she doesn't miss them...not one little bit. Infact she's glad their gone.

She is

She doesn't have to put up with Alexis' whining, she doesn't have to put up with David's incessant remarks, she never has to deal with them again. Never again. She's happy she tells herself. Even when she absentmindedly calls for them and John has to remind her they don't live together anymore, even when she wonders if they've eaten that morning, how are they? Even when she starts feeling the tiniest bit resentful of Ted and Patrick, and then guilty for that...because those are her children and how dare you take them from...no...she doesn't care.

Of course she doesn't.

It's why she ignores their calls, why she ignores seeing them when she walks past, why she doesn't bother to say hello to David when she walks into the store and only greets Patrick, why she ignores her daughter's invitation to go out. Of course she's not going to go. After all, they're separate now...this is what she wanted wasn't it? She wanted a bigger house, she didn't want to live with her children in the end she has everything she wanted. This is totally and completely fine. John tries to speak to her but he wouldn't understand. Of course not, he had it in him all along to be a loving father he was just busy. Moira meanwhile, so wrapped up in her life that her children grew up in the blink of an eye...and just as she was getting used to these children, just as she was getting used to their faces, their personalities, their quirks...they left once more with nary a thought about her and how she felt.

Moira decides to stay in bed on this day, it's Mother's Day.

Johnny has gone to the motel to work with Stevie and once again she's alone in an empty house.

A large, empty house.

"Why are we here?" Asked David, "Mom doesn't want to see us she's made that abundantly clear."

He tries masking the hurt, but it's there and it's abundantly clear that it hurt. He didn't understand what he did or what he said, but their mother had become distant to the extreme. Talking only to Patrick and not him when she came in to the store, ignoring calls, texts, ignoring him in the street, not even willing to acknowledge his presence when he came over to say hi. True she'd never been the nicest or the warmest person before, but she always at least said something. He...he actually missed hearing the sound of his mother's voice. Missed her teasing glances, missed her verbal quips, missed her pearls of unsolicited wisdom...he missed his mom. And he doesn't understand what he did to make her treat him and his sister this way.

"Ok but today's Mother's Day, David and she's going to see us whether she wants to or not." Said Alexis, as she went over to the ceramic turtle in the garden and reached under it where her father had told them the extra key would be. David sighed and looked at the house, it was large and white with a large red door and columns holding up the roof on the patio where the floorboards were mahogany and immaculate. Alexis opened the door and they walked in. Their shoes clacking on the marble floors as the crystal chandelier hangs above them and to their right is the staircase that spirals with the curve of the wall.

"I know this is our parents' house but I still feel like we're trespassing." Said David, as he followed after his sister.

"Oh my God David, stop freaking out." She whispered, he scoffed and rolled his eyes. He paused and looked at the pictures on the walls, they didn't used to have those in their old house. Pictures of him and Alexis at different ages, birthdays, holidays, Bat Mitzvah, plays, and other special events. He stops, when he sees two black and white images that are larger than the others. Both are of their mother in one she's holding Alexis and the other David.

"Do you think she was happy...when we were born?" Asked David softly, Alexis stopped and looked at her brother before looking at the pictures.

"She looks happy." Said Alexis, noting the smile on her face.

"Doesn't mean she is." Said David softly, and Alexis tweeks her mouth and looks at the photos.

"She wanted two boys." Said Alexis softly, as she remembered the story her mother told her when she was sick. David looked at his sister before turning to the photos. They look up, when a door opens upstairs and they see her arriving at the bannister in her bathrobe. She looks down at them with icy, cold blue eyes. They've never ever seen her with those kind of eyes before and it's actually a little intimidating.

"Hi mom." Said David softly, with Alexis giving a wave.

"Your father isn't here he went out." Said Moira harshly.

"No we know, um we came to see you. It's Mother's Day." Said Alexis, to which Moira raised her eyebrow.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Asked their mom and ok that kind of stung.

"Nope infact, we're just leaving." Said David, to which his sister grabbed him by the sleeve stopping him from leaving. Moira let out a small scoff, and folded her arm over her chest.

"Mom, I'm sorry." Said Alexis, looking up at her mother. Maybe David gave up but she didn't. Because she's seen that her mom does care about them in her own way, she doesn't know or understand why she's acting the way she is. But she knows that this isn't her. Her mother isn't nice but she's not some horrible neglectful bitch like she's acting right now. "I don't know what I did or what I said...but I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about whatever it was, just please...talk to me."

It pains Moira to see and hear this, but her heart is hardened and she can't find it in her to forgive. Not this.

"You want to talk? Fine. I don't want you here. " Said Moira, as she stepped over until she was before them making Alexis gasp, as she lost the grip on David's sweater and her hand dropped. Her brother immediately held it. "You're a selfish, spoiled, ungrateful, inconsiderate, child."

Alexis said nothing, trying to stay strong even though her chest was tightening and it was like snakes were wrapping themselves around her throat as she tried not to cry and the words weren't coming out and everything was getting hot.

" That's out of line." Said David, shaking his head as he looked up at her.

"Is it David? Or is it a correct assessment." Said Moira.

"Look whose suddenly a psychologist. Are you done hurling insults and being a diva or do you actually want to have a conversation." Said David, sarcasm in his voice and Alexis gasped once more as Moira did something she had never done before. She slapped David across the face which not even he was expecting. His cheek stung and there were tears forming in his eyes. He sniffed and looked at her calmly. "I've had partners who've hit harder than that."

"Both of you are ungrateful, little brats. You don't know or understand what I have been through." Said Moira, as she looked at the both of them. "I came from a town like Schitt's Creek, I was a child who worked to the bone to help my mother and my sister, I was a child when I entered showbiz...and I saw the glamour and the glitz of Hollywood..and it's dark underbelly. I made sacrifices, many of them to get where I was...for what? two children who didn't appreciate anything. The same children, who the minute I began to open my heart to them decided to leave me."

"Leave you? Mom we never left you." Said Alexis, but David caught on quicker.

"Wait, you're mad we moved in with Ted and Patrick?" Asked David, and Moira immediately turned away hurrying up the stairs. "Ok mom!"

"Mom!" Exclaimed Alexis but Moira was quicker as she went to hers and Johnny's room and closed the door locking it before sliding down and sitting against it. Leaning against the door frame. Tears glistening in those eyes. She hears her children outside, practically kicking the door down calling out to her telling her to close the door. Alexis sighed and sat down on the floor back pressed against the door with David next to her. "Why is she mad we left?"

"I have no idea." Said David softly, as he rubbed his face.

"You ok?" She asked.

"My face hurts, she has a really good right hook." Said David, before turning to Alexis. "Are you ok?"

"Sort of." Said Alexis with a shrug.

"I don't think she meant any of it...she's just mad. Even though she really has no reason to be." Said David, loudly proclaiming the last part so Moira could hear them through the wall. Moira hit the door in response showing the two of them that she was indeed there listening. "We can stay here all day."

"We really can." Said Alexis, Ted is with his mother and Patrick left to be with his mom so really the two of them had nowhere else to be.

"Y'know Adelina used to tell us that talking about what made you upset helps." Said David, and it was quiet.

"Will it make you leave?" Asked Moira, and the two of them shared a look. Though they said nothing even as Moira opened the door. She went over and sat on the bed, both Alexis and David sat on either side of her. She sits there hands clasped and folded, as blue eyes look down at her lap. And when she speaks..it's not in that accent she always uses..the one they've been accustomed to all their lives. "This is very hard for me."

Alexis gently reached over to hold one of her hands which Moira immediately pulled away. Only for Alexis to stubbornly hold her hand anyway.

"It's ok, just let it out." Said David softly.

"My mother was a hard working woman. She used to do people's laundry for them, and my father...was the town drunk. He did nothing but drink and sit there on the couch, being lazy. So my mother was often the one who raised us. She taught us how to cook, how to work around the house, how to look after ourselves. She used to make our clothing, and she did everything in her power to make sure we looked beautiful, that we had whatever it was we needed and wanted. My mother was a strong woman, who believed that as long as you put your all into something you could succeed in this life...So I did. I worked at a hair salon, I worked as a secretary, a hostess, at a gas station...but what I loved more than anything was acting."Something my father always dissuaded me from doing...then he left." She pauses, and sighs as she can feel her chest going tight. David gently reached over and dried one of her tears lightly brushing it away.

"After I was in Cabaret and acted in theatre, I was making it. I was living my dream, but that dream came with a price." She said softly. "I had met your father, and he had a friend who I ended up seeing at the time. This friend said he could help me...help me with my career, help me become someone...he told me to meet him at his office because he had scripts he wanted to show me. We were seeing each other of course I thought nothing of it. So I went and...I lost a part of myself that day."

"Oh mom." Said Alexis softly, as she hugged Moira tightly. David shook his head in horror as he sniffed and felt some tears slip out as he looked at his mother.

"I can still remember what he said to me. 'No one will ever want you, or really love you..because you're just a whore who thinks she can make it in this business.' Eventually, I did win your father's heart...and then I found out I was pregnant. I promised to be the sort of mother my own was, I promised myself I would never let anything hurt my children, I would never ever let anything happen to them..I wanted to protect my children, I was going to give them the world." Said Moira softly.

"So what changed?" Said David softly.

Moira opened her mouth to say something but she had no answer. When had she gone from wanting the best for her children..to setting them up in a separate wing, to being worried more about her belongings than them, to not even remembering Alexis' middle name, to not even being aware of David's relationships or Alexis' misadventures. At what point did motherly love and affection turn into neglect and indifference? At what point did she look at her children and go...I don't want to be a part of your life.

"I suppose...I just gave and gave parts of myself to everyone around me that...there wasn't enough for the two people who should have mattered most." Said Moira as she looked at David. "I'm so sorry. Then we came here to Schitt's Creek and...I got used to seeing you every day, I grew used to being together and spending time with you, and...then you left me and I remember what he said...and-"

"Wait you thought..us moving in with Patrick and Ted meant we didn't love you anymore?" Asked Alexis, looking at her mother who turned away. "Mom that's crazy! Of course we love you. Just because didn't want to live with you anymore doesn't mean we stopped loving you. We thought...well I thought you and dad wanted pace, and Ted and I were together and...it made sense."

"Patrick and I planned it for awhile. We were planning on telling you anyway." Said David, now understanding things. "I get it..your dad left and then this asshole made you believe no one loved you and you...I guess internalized that, and whatever look. You weren't there when we were kids...not all the time but some times you were. Like that time where you took Alexis out after book club, or when you helped me after a breakup. You definitely were here in Schitt's Creek...I understand that. I understand being hurt to the point that, you're angry and you misconstrue things but mom...we didn't stop loving you just because we moved out."

"Did you stop loving us?" Asked Alexis softly.

"No." Said Moira softly. "I'm sorry about all those awful things I said to you and for lashing out and slapping you David."

"It's ok, I know your tendency for the dramatics." Said David softly, as he gently rubbed his mother's arms.

"And to answer your question, having the both of you was the best decision I ever made." She replied, making the two siblings smile. "Why don't I get dressed and...if you want, we can spend the day together."

"Ok."

"Yeah, sounds good."

Alexis and David stepped out, and Moira immediately began to get ready. This wasn't the novel. She remembered after the other women left actually, after book club she'd decided to take Alexis out that day for ice cream. Because she was thankful to live in a world where Alexis could be anything she wanted to be. Where she was free to grow up and be who she wanted to be. Just as her mother had taught her. She even remembers that breakup, it had been a generational xerox, one of David's boyfriends only wanted to drink and get David drunk among other things. After they broke up she told him he didn't have to put up with that...he deserved better. Her son didn't listen...and it took a long time before either of them followed those lessons. But they did and she's proud of them. So she gets ready and opens the door.

"Shall we?" She asks in that accent. Her children hold her hands as she walks with them out the door.


End file.
